Rich Kassel's Blog
Most New Yorkers Support Congestion Pricing
March 7, 2008
Posted by Rich Kassel in Curbing Pollution , Health and the Environment , Living Sustainably , Moving Beyond Oil , Solving Global Warming , The Media and the Environment , U.S. Law and Policy
Over at the Times' City Room blog and Andy Revkin's dotearth blog, there’s some lively debate about a recent poll that showed that more than two-thirds of New York City residents think that, over the next fifty years, parts of the City will have to be abandoned due to rising sea levels caused by global warming.
That’s a fun topic to debate, and a good one.
But what’s more significant today is that more than half of those polled agreed that we need to implement congestion pricing in Manhattan now, assuming the revenues are used for improving the region’s transit system.
To me, that’s strong support, given that the notion of paying-to-drive is something that’s never been done in an American city before—and that the plan’s opponents have been slamming the proposal relentlessly for months.
Individual New Yorkers can always make a difference by leaving their car at home, and taking the train, bus, or subway to work—and most of us do. But as I wrote yesterday, we need to find more than $29 billion over the next five years to rebuild and expand the transit system to give everybody more transit options and extra elbow room in years to come.
Congestion pricing can provide as much as $6 billion of those funds. So, the next time you leave the car at home to come to Manhattan, and the next time you wonder about what you can do to help reduce congestion, air pollution and global warming, join me in supporting congestion pricing—and tell your legislators and friends to do so, too.
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- Rich Kassel
- Senior Attorney and Director, Clean Fuels and Vehicles Project
- New York City
- I came to NRDC in 1991 on a three-year grant, and never left. Over the...
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Comments
John B. — Mar 8 2008 10:12 AM
This is an interesting idea and in London they're already doing it. I suspect that when the restriction is in effect, the streets are full of Mercedes', Lexus', BMWs, etc. Seems kind of regressive and unfair.
StyleSwag Magazine — Mar 13 2008 02:45 PM
Living in NYC I can tell you that although I find the subway system to be a design marvel it is needlessly uncomfortable and dangerous at times.
It's also a deception that NYC is this small, contained city and taking mass transit is an easy way to get around the city. This is true only if you live in Manhattan. It's quick, it's simple, it's cheap. I live in the city, so when I'm asked how do I commute, I point down to my beat up New Balance sneakers or I hop in a cab, jump on a bus or train.
BUT... if you are coming to and fro the outskirts like Queens and Brooklyn, where many of the people who work in Manhattan live, it can take longer to get home than someone traveling out of state, like Conn. or NJ!
An effort needs to be made to improve the quality of life, for these people and then you'll see a major improvement. Perhaps a super fast an express line that goes directly to the heart of the city.